WILLIAMSTOWN, MASS.- The Clark Art Institute announced today that Daphne B. Birdsey has been selected to serve as its Chief Advancement Officer, leading the Institute’s philanthropy and membership programs. Birdsey is currently the Deputy Chief Development Officer for the Director’s Office at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. She will assume her role at the Clark on November 1, 2021.

“Daphne Birdsey is an important addition to the Clark’s leadership team, bringing extensive experience, and great energy and enthusiasm for deepening our connections with our members, our neighbors, and our supporters,” said Olivier Meslay, Hardymon Director of the Clark. “She joins our team at an exciting moment as we are beginning to envision a new generation of programs and initiatives that will enable us to enrich and extend the ways in which the Clark serves our audiences and our communities.”

Birdsey has worked in the Metropolitan’s development office for thirteen years, where she has been a part of key fundraising initiatives that supported major projects at the museum. She also has managed both its Chairman’s Council and International Council.

“I am thrilled at the prospect of joining the Clark’s staff and becoming a member of the Williamstown community,” Birdsey said. “The Clark is such a unique and wonderful place, distinguished for its exceptional collections, dynamic exhibitions, and for the rigor of its Research and Academic Program. I am honored to have the opportunity to work in support of this remarkable institution and am eager to team with my new colleagues to ensure that our philanthropic efforts will provide a strong foundation to nurture and sustain the Clark’s goals for the future.”

Birdsey holds a master’s degree in visual arts administration from New York University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina.